I think the sentence concerning the translation of the letter might have been better phrased. Obviously, Bandar was translating a letter between Sadat and Fahd for the Americans.That said, Egyptian and Saudi Arabic are probably only 95% the same. Egyptian Arabic, due to the long history of Egyptian films and TV, is better understood in Saudi Arabia than is Saudi Arabic in Egypt.The farther apart two Arabic countries, the more difficult the mutual comprehension of two 'Arabic' speakers. In fact, there exist three levels of Arabic: Classical, Quranic Arabic which is understood by the well-educated or clerics; Modern Standard Arabic, used in media as a lingua franca; and local dialects of which there are thousands.

Can someone explain why written Arabic has to be translated between the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Egypt? I just did a quick web search and I found something that says Sadat "taught himself French and English" implying neither of those were his first language. I'm assuming Arabic was his first language.Did Prince Bandar think it was a good idea to have so many American troops in his country?

Becoming "virtually part of the administration" must have come at a heavy price. A hint he - he delivered the message from his boss Prince Abdullah regarding Palestinian suffering with "with a heavy heart".Btw, why did he have to translate a letter from King Fahd to President Sadat? Didn't Sadat know Arabic?